AMD Vision spreads across desktops, laptops: Will you see a difference?

Does affordability matter most to you when buying a new computer? More importantly, do labels?

AMD has been working on finding its way into laptops and desktops via a strategy of affordability and rebranding, and its AMD Vision series of products is taking off with a new batch of desktops and laptops. We've already seen some of this new branding in a handful of products, but the company's new initiative focuses on its latest processors, and adds extra "Vision" categories to its product line. The real question is how these new systems will perform in the long run, and whether they'll provide better value to consumers.

On both the portable and desk-bound sides of the computer universe, AMD is planning a campaign with many major manufacturers--Acer, Asus, HP, Dell, Lenovo, and more--to offer lines of computers branded with a series of stickers that should, simply, indicate how they'll perform for everyday use, focusing on what AMD thinks are the main dividers.

The categories are as follows: AMD Vision for basic systems such as Netbook-level computers; Premium Vision for media-viewing-optimized computers; Ultimate Vision for media viewing and media creating; and Vision Black for ultra-high-end rigs such as the six-core AMD Phenom II.

We've seen AMD processors sneaking into the middle range of laptops in companies such as Lenovo, Toshiba, and HP, always with the same pitch: similar computing for less money. AMD also promises, via its ATI graphics division, to offer more-affordable graphics setups than comparable Intel/Nvidia systems.

We'll start seeing more of these branded systems over the next year, especially in our retail roundups. Though the initiative has just been announced, we wonder how it will resonate on the consumer end. A difference between media-viewing (Premium) and media-creating (Ultimate) makes sense, but Vision Black seems like an angle to compete in the high-end gaming market and create yet more branding.